Three kinds of causes （or conditions） （tri-sam!gati-pratyaya）. （1） The causes of finishing life 终生， the causes of severing affliction 断惑 and the causes of receiving birth 受生. （2） Evil teachers， evil doctrines and evil thoughts. （3） According to Shandao 善导， three kinds of virtuous causes produced by the practice of nien-fo : （a） intimate causes 亲缘， wherein the practitioners attain intimacy with Amita^bha by chanting his name， being mindful of him， paying respect to him; （b） causes of closeness 近缘， wherein pracitioners make the Buddha respond by desiring to meet him; （c） enhanced causes 增上缘， wherein， due to the chanting the Buddha's name， practitioners have their crimes erased and attain an improved rebirth.